The Empire Strikes Back! White House bans news outlets from briefing!!

This is how the front page of CNN looks at the hour.. major journalistic enterprises have been blocked from attending the White House briefing Friday afternoon..

THE THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORTS...

Journalists from The New York Times and two other news organizations were prohibited from attending a briefing by President Trump’s press secretary on Friday, a highly unusual breach of relations between the White House and its press corps.
Reporters from The Times, CNN and Politico were not allowed to enter the West Wing office of the press secretary, Sean M. Spicer, for the scheduled briefing. Aides to Mr. Spicer allowed in reporters from only a handpicked group of news organizations that, the White House said, had been previously confirmed to attend.

Organizations allowed in included Breitbart News, the One America News Network and The Washington Times, all with conservative leanings. Journalists from ABC, CBS, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and Fox News also attended.

Reporters from Time magazine and The Associated Press, who were set to be allowed in to the briefing, chose not to attend in protest of the White House’s actions.
“Nothing like this has ever happened at the White House in our long history of covering multiple administrations of different parties,” Dean Baquet, the executive editor of The Times, said in a statement. “We strongly protest the exclusion of The New York Times and the other news organizations. Free media access to a transparent government is obviously of crucial national

 

Age vs propaganda

Let me first say, politics is a blood sport and I really have lost interest of the years. It amazes me that we teach our children not to bully each other, and laws are passed stopping them, but yet politicians have free reign to destroy each other and use NSA secrets or back alley Sallys to their advantage. The more dirt the better.. the more chances a politician can be destroyed in front of the media spotlight.. And then the other guy wins.

This is from a TWEET from NBC NEWS “INVESTIGATES” ..

Could be wrong, but I sure think this feels like a promotion of killing people .. 

Either way, NBC NEWS ‘investigates’ did its due diligence to see the fastest methods for the government to kill people. Thanks ..

Once again CNN showcasing now they are clearly not a news network anymore..

If people think this is journalisitucally offensive they probably never visited the Newseum or have any inkling on just how rude and crude newspapers once were.. that’s not to diminish what this paper did. But shouldn’t first amendment protections be afforded to those who we disagree with the most?

Quite frankly this is one of the major problems I have with Raw Story and other publications geared to promote themselves in Facebook. The vast majority of time is spent on click bate or controversial headlines that often neglect to delve any deeper than the byline.

Online news gathering and consumption should NE amazing. Instead we are left to debate mundane and insignificant events on social media.

Now is the time to try to find real journalism and leave this trash heap behind… sadly it was once a respected network.

Jon Stewart accurately destroys major news networks over blizzard coverage

Seriously.. A CNN ‘blizzard mobile’… This all was just shameful..

Jon Stewart accurately destroys major news networks over blizzard coverage

Miley’s twerking caused San Fran to shake. Someone needs to stop her now

Am I weird for subscribing to print newsmagazines? I have been a happy TIME magazine subscriber since I was 13 years old.. And recently started getting THE WEEK at my doorstep. I’m so 2000 and late.. Partying like it’s 1999 thinking print still matters. But to hold a magazine in the hand—smell the pages as they turn. Now that’s news to use..

Protesters, police in riot gear brace for tense night in Ferguson

LIVE FROM FERGUSON..

Major media now covering the events..

FOX looking for community leaders that are pushing back the crowd..

MSNBC is quaking in its boots every time a protester mentions that he is smiling because he’s on CNN..

And CNN is bringing in legal analysts, safe in plush apartments somewhere in a midtown of peace..

It’s another hot night in Ferguson.. Riot gear ready..
Gas masks prepped.. Protesting underway..

Protesters, police in riot gear brace for tense night in Ferguson

Calling Dick Tracey…
What was science fiction then is reality now.

This is how people are going to be reading news.. they won’t be checking the time, they will be fixated on their arms to get the latest headlines and sports scores..

I believe it’s just a matter of time before the devices get implanted.. we are as close to it as we can be..

Ebola terror at Gatwick as Sierra Leone flight passenger dies

Staff tell of fears as jet from Africa is quarantined after the death of passenger who was ’sweating and vomiting’ before she collapsed

MORE:

The woman, said to be 72, became ill on the gangway after she left a Gambia Bird jet with 128 passengers on board. She died in hospital.

Ebola has killed 256 people in Sierra Leone. A total of 826 have died in West Africa since the outbreak began in February. Tests are now being carried out to see if the woman had disease.

The plane was quarantined as ­officials desperately tried to trace everyone who had been in contact with the woman.

But before emotions get wild and assumptions get made: This is not yet ruled Ebola related. As a matter of fact, the MIRROR goes on to report—deep in the article—

The passenger was taken to hospital and sadly died.

“In line with standard ­procedures, tests are being undertaken to determine the cause of death.

“The patient’s symptoms suggest that Ebola is very unlikely but as a precaution this is one of the tests being undertaken.

It is a matter of time, of course, before cases pop up outside of Africa.. The world is too connected and close for that not to occur. It’s just the hope that health officials will calmly take matters into their responsible hands.. and that panic will not ensue.

Like today…when the vomiting 72-year-old led to a world crisis.

Ebola terror at Gatwick as Sierra Leone flight passenger dies

Megyn Kelly, Sean Hannity Hit New Ratings Highs With Crisis Coverage

Coverage of both the Malaysia Airlines downed over Ukraine and unrest in the Gaza region helped two Fox News Channel programs reach new total-audience highs, according to data from Nielsen

Kelly is easy on the eyes. Hannity is not. Depending on your political beliefs, their voices are either that of angels or fingernails dragging on chalk boards. Regardless of it all: They won big. 

I think one guy and my neighbor watched MSNBC’s coverage.

Megyn Kelly, Sean Hannity Hit New Ratings Highs With Crisis Coverage

Slow motion history set to repeat itself

20 years ago this month, the entire nation was fixated on a slow motion drama that played out on LA freeways.. OJ Simpson was evading the law in a white bronco .. eventually police arrested him, and the rest of the story played out, ending with an innocent verdict for the murder of his wife and her friend..

It was pre internet but it was huge. All TV networks joined in the live footage as it played out. CNN is offering up a few things of surprising note about the OJ ‘chase’..

I remember a few things.. I was 14 years old.. I was eating a large DEVITO’S Italian Eatery Sicilian pizza (sadly the Ashland PA restaurant has since closed) and I was watching like the rest of America to the drama as it played out.. Not being much of a sports enthusiast at that age, I just recall the sadness knowing that my favorite goofy cop from the NAKED GUN movies may have been a murderer..

Now all these years later.. CNN is beginning a good year’s worth of ‘20 years later’ coverage of this event.

I just remember how much the nation was gripped by this story.. Television sets were brought into workplaces and schools during the trial, families were torn apart in anger over whether he was guilty.. and race became an issue when TIME magazine chose to darken OJ’s face as opposed to the NEWSWEEK real version.

Back when print mattered.
Back before the net.
And before Marcia Clark’s facelift.

Those were the days..

Expect to see this cover of TIME magazine everywhere.. it may sell as good as their mother breastfeeding from a bit ago.

I credit TIME with one thing: They are able to still give us some provocative covers to keep themselves relevant. It’s journalism, sure, but it’s also about the bottom line. They are trying to make a profit in print during the age of Internet.

This is the type of cover that may help them..

The actual text and subject aside, this magazine will sell. Maybe not like hot cakes, but lukewarm pouches.. Or something.

And the real question: How many tough men will take a second or even third glance before they realize what they’re seeing?

U.S. Reporters Grill Obama in Asia: Did You Like Your Green-Tea Ice Cream?

Journalism.

I would actually have asked him why he didn’t finish his sushi—something else American reporters have been focusing on.

The world is lucky to have a press core from other nations—if they relied on American ones the news would be filled with 100% political gossip and fear mongering..  The great free press is lax in its responsibilities.. Hardcore questions are over.. People are more worried about sharing a cocktail at some lame D.C. bar to get more access.. They are more concerned about their big wig bosses at the network, who most likely are talking a merger with some other giant corporate conglomerate. And they are too worried about internet bloggers who they see as nothing more than reptile bile, only fitting for mocking instead of propping up.

But when they get their big chance to swing a hard question, they prod the President about his affinity for green tea ice cream..

Name your dead journalist. He or she rolls in a grave somewhere deep in the American heartland..

U.S. Reporters Grill Obama in Asia: Did You Like Your Green-Tea Ice Cream?

Networks Snub Obama On Primetime Health Care Address

The White House sought primetime air the day Obamacare hit 7 million signups.

The networks did not oblige.

Instead, Obama had to cut into the ELLEN daytime program to celebrate.

Networks Snub Obama On Primetime Health Care Address

Must-see morning clip: Jon Stewart nails it regarding CNN's 'breaking news' coverage of the missing Malaysian flight 370

Love this video.. It’s dead on accurate about CNN and their constant ‘breaking news’ graphic that accompanies EVERY story regardless of whether or not it’s breaking news..

Let’s keep that banner for the real stuff CNN?

Must-see morning clip: Jon Stewart nails it regarding CNN's 'breaking news' coverage of the missing Malaysian flight 370

Breaking schmreaking..

Chuck Todd seems pretty hot under his political collar at CNN for labeling too much non news ‘breaking news’..

I’m with him on this one—CNN overdoes it. But so does FOX NEWS, perhaps even more. They overdo their loud DINGGGGGGGG echo noise each time they begin a new hour.. they say “HAPPENING NOW!” as though the world is ending.

But it never does. Instead all of the networks simply rehash the same news over and over again, calling it ‘breaking’….

The only thing I can say about NBC is this: They could be guilty of it too.. lest we forget they interrupted a Congresswoman to go live to Justin Bieber’s arraignment.. Chuck Todd may have forgotten ..

But really..

The only time I know that ‘breaking news’ is REALLY BREAKING NEWS is when NBC sends off their chimes of death. THAT is when the world does end..

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECq3NqluCaQ]

Happy birthday Mrs. Obama, the big 50

It’s all well and good, and hopefully she has a great day, with a dinner in any nation-state she wants ..

But there’s a certain level of disgust and revolt I have when journalistic institutions have stories running about ‘50 ways to celebrate Michelle Obama’s birthday,’ as ABC NEWS does today.

It would be just as bad to do this about Laura Bush, or the wife of a North Korean dictator…

I just wish reporters were reporters again and not simply mouthpieces for puff propagandists. Nonetheless, Happy Birthday Michelle..